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Places in Middle-earth

Andúnië

Location: A city of Númenor on the Bay of Andúnië in the region called Andustar, the western promontory of the island.

Description: Of old the chief city and haven of Númenor was in the midst of its western coasts, and it was called Andúnië because it faced the sunset.

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

The Andustar was also rocky in its northern parts, with high firwoods looking out upon the sea. Three small bays it had, facing west, cut back into the highlands; but here the cliffs were in many places not at the sea's edge, and there was a shelving land at their feet. The northmost of these was called the Bay of Andúnië, for there was the great haven of Andúnië (Sunset), with its town beside the shore and many other dwellings climbing up the steep slopes behind.

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 1, Description of the Island of Númenor

The chief and most ancient road suitable for wheels, ran from the greatest port, Rómenna in the east, to the royal city of Armenelos, and thence on to the Valley of the Tombs and the Meneltarma; and this road was early extended to Ondosto within the borders of the Forostar, and thence to Andúnië in the west. Along it passed wains bearing stone from the Northlands..., and timber in which the Westlands were rich.

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 1, Description of the Island of Númenor

Highest in honour after the house of the kings were the Lords of Andúnië; for they were of the line of Elros.... And these lords were loyal to the kings, and revered them; and the Lord of Andúnië was ever among the chief councillors of the Sceptre. Yet also from the beginning they bore especial love to the Eldar and reverence for the Valar; and as the Shadow grew they aided the Faithful as they could. But for long they did not declare themselves openly, and sought rather to amend the hearts of the lords of the Sceptre with wiser counsels.

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

... [the kings] desired to end all friendship between their people and the Eldar of Eressëa, whom they named the Spies of the Valar.... But all that they did was known to Manwë, and the Valar were wroth with the Kings of Númenor, and gave them counsel and protection no more; and the ships of Eressëa came never again out of the sunset, and the havens of Andúnië were forlorn.

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

In the Westlands and in Andúnië the Elven-tongue [Sindarin] was spoken by high and low. In that tongue Erendis was nurtured; but Aldarion spoke the Númenórean speech, although as all high men of Númenor he knew also the tongue of Beleriand. [Author's note.] - Elsewhere, in a note on the languages of Númenor, it is said that the general use of Sindarin in the north-west of the Isle was due to the fact that those parts were largely settled by people of "Bëorian" descent; and the People of Bëor had in Beleriand early abandoned their own speech and adopted Sindarin. (Of this there is no mention in The Silmarillion, though it is said there ... that in Dor-lómin in the days of Fingolfin the people of Hador did not forget their own speech, "and from it came the common tongue of Númenor.")

Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 2, Aldarion and Erendis: Notes, Note 19

Etymology

andúnë 'sunset, west' in Andúnië, to which corresponds in Sindarin annun, cf. Annúminas, and Henneth Annûn 'window of the sunset' in Ithilien. The ancient root of these words, ndu, meaning 'down, from on high', appears also in Quenyanumen 'the way of the sunset, west' and in Sindarin dun 'west', cf. Dúnedain, Adûnaic adun in Adunakhôr, Anadûnë was a loan from Eldarin speech.